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5 days
Tur zilnic
Unlimited
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This 5 days Luxor and Abu Simbel tour from Cairo covers the country’s essential ancient sites in one connected itinerary — the Giza Pyramids and Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the colossal rock-cut temples at Abu Simbel, and Luxor’s East and West Bank monuments — moving between cities by flight and first-class train rather than long overland drives. It suits first-time visitors to Egypt who want a genuinely complete introduction to the country’s ancient history without spending two weeks doing it.
Over five days you’ll stay two nights in Cairo, one night in Aswan, and one night in Luxor at the 5-star Steigenberger Nile Palace, with a private Egyptologist guide and air-conditioned vehicle throughout.
Five days is enough time to cover Cairo, Abu Simbel, and Luxor properly without turning the trip into a rushed checklist. Each destination gets its own dedicated time: a full day for Giza and the Egyptian Museum, an early morning at Abu Simbel timed to beat the desert heat, and a full day exploring both banks of Luxor.
The train journey from Aswan to Luxor also adds something a flight-only itinerary wouldn’t — a slower, more scenic way to move between two Upper Egypt cities, with an overnight sleeper eliminating the need for a separate hotel night along the way. With a private Egyptologist guide and air-conditioned vehicle throughout, and flights, hotels, and most entrance fees already arranged, the logistics of a five-day, three-city trip stay manageable.
A Marsa Alam Tours representative meets you at Cairo International Airport and transfers you to your hotel by private air-conditioned vehicle. If your flight arrives very early, reaching out in advance can help arrange something for that first partial day. For travelers who'd like to start the trip with something memorable, an optional Nile dinner cruise can be booked — an evening on the water with Dervish dancing, live Egyptian music, and an open buffet of Egyptian and Western dishes. You'll spend the night in Cairo.
Your guide picks you up from your hotel to begin the day at the Giza Pyramids — Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure — followed by the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple. Lunch is served at a local restaurant in Giza during the visit.
The afternoon continues at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, home to more than 250,000 genuine artifacts spanning some 5,000 years, including a dedicated exhibit on Tutankhamun's treasures, discovered when his tomb was excavated in 1920 after remaining sealed for over 3,500 years. Travelers interested in the Royal Mummies Hall can add a visit to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization for an additional $50 per person, where many of these mummies are now displayed in a setting meant to evoke the Valley of the Kings itself.
The Grand Egyptian Museum is not yet officially open — full opening is expected by the end of 2023 — but limited tours are available for travelers who'd like to see the site ahead of its official launch. Access currently covers the Grand Hall, the commercial area, and the exterior gardens, with the galleries and full collections still restricted until the official opening.
In the evening, an optional Sound and Light Show at the Giza Pyramids is available for $40 per person, narrating the history of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure as the Sphinx "retells" ancient Egypt's stories after dark. After the day's sightseeing, you'll fly from Cairo to Aswan.
Pickup from your Aswan hotel is early, at 04:00, for the roughly 3-hour drive to Abu Simbel, timed to arrive before the day's heat sets in. The two temples here were carved into the mountainside during the reign of Ramesses II in the 13th century BC. Your Egyptologist guide walks you through the story of one of ancient Egypt's most ambitious pharaohs standing in front of the Great Temple's façade, where four colossal statues of Ramses II sit on his throne, each depicting him at a different stage of life. Though officially dedicated to Amun-Re Horakhty and Ptah, the temple's true purpose was to glorify Ramses himself. Beside it stands the smaller temple built for his wife, Queen Nefertari, its rock-cut façade showing the pharaoh and queen together.
Lunch is served in Aswan before you board a first-class overnight train to Luxor, where you'll stay at the 5-star Steigenberger Nile Palace.
For early risers, an optional hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings is available for $120 per person before breakfast. After breakfast at your hotel, your guide accompanies you through Luxor's major sites.
The day opens at Karnak Temple, far more than a single structure — a sprawling complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons, and obelisks dedicated to Egypt's pharaohs and, most importantly, to the Theban Triad of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. Lunch is served during the day's touring.
The tour continues to the Valley of the Kings, once called the Great Place of Truth, an isolated valley behind Deir el-Bahri dominated by a natural pyramid-shaped mountain peak and home to the stone sarcophagi of pharaohs who once lay here awaiting immortality. Nearby, the Colossi of Memnon, two 18-meter statues built by Amenhotep III, are the only visible remains of what was once the largest complex on Luxor's West Bank. The day finishes at Hatshepsut Temple, its terraces rising directly out of the desert plain to merge with the sheer limestone cliffs of the Theban Mountain.
You'll transfer to Luxor Airport for a domestic flight back to Cairo, where you'll spend your final night.
After breakfast, you'll have free time until your international flight. Travelers with extra time available can add an optional day trip to Alexandria or Old Cairo for an additional charge before heading to the airport.
It's a 5-day, 4-night tour, covering Cairo, Aswan with Abu Simbel, and Luxor.
Yes, a private Egyptologist guide and air-conditioned vehicle accompany you throughout all five days.
The Giza Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, the Valley Temple, and the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir.
The Great Temple of Ramesses II, with its four colossal statues, and the smaller temple dedicated to Queen Nefertari.
Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Colossi of Memnon, and Hatshepsut Temple.
By first-class overnight train, included in the tour.
Yes, flights from Cairo to Aswan and from Luxor back to Cairo are included. International airfare is not included.
Yes, 2 nights in Cairo, 1 night in Aswan, and 1 night at the 5-star Steigenberger Nile Palace in Luxor.
It's not yet officially open; limited pre-opening tours are available, covering the Grand Hall, commercial area, and gardens, with full gallery access restricted until the official opening.
Yes, it's available as an optional add-on for $50 per person, useful for seeing the Royal Mummies Hall.
Yes, an optional balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings is available for $120 per person on day four.
No, it's available as an optional extra for $40 per person on day two.
No, dinner is not included on any night of the trip.
Yes, the Egypt entry visa is not included and should be arranged separately.
Airport meet and assist, hotel accommodation across three cities, your private guide, entrance fees, private transport, and flights between Cairo, Aswan, and Luxor.
International airfare, tipping, the Egypt entry visa, and dinner.
Yes, it's designed to cover the country's most essential ancient sites in one well-organized trip, making it a strong choice for a first visit.
Yes, an optional day trip to Alexandria or Old Cairo can be added on departure day for an extra charge.
It involves an early start for Abu Simbel and a good amount of walking across multiple sites, so it suits travelers comfortable with an active schedule.
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